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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24651112">The Tao of Neville</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antosha/pseuds/Antosha'>Antosha</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Tao te Ching - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adolescent Sexuality, BAMF Neville Longbottom, Bodhisatva Neville Longbottom, Daydreams, F/M, Gen, Het, Luna Lovegood Being Luna Lovegood, Neville is the Way, Philosophy, Post-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Rebel King Neville Longbottom, Snape in a Dress, Taoism, silliness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:16:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>757</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24651112</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antosha/pseuds/Antosha</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The neville that can be named is not the Neville<br/>It is just Harry Potter without a scar<br/>And that is pretty cool too<br/>But the Neville is the gateway to all mystery (Gen musings in the style of the Tao te Ching, written just after DH)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Tao of Neville</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Right after Deathly Hallows came out, there was a great thread over at the late, lamented RestrictedSection.org's forums called Facts About Neville. It was sort of a Chuck Norris-style list, basking in the glory that was DH Rebel King BAMF Neville Longbottom.</p><p>Being the weirdo that I am, it won't surprise you that my contribution to the fun was... odd. It came to me like a bolt from the sky:</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The neville that can be named is not the Neville.<br/>
It is just Harry Potter without a scar.<br/>
And that is pretty cool too.<br/>
But the Neville is the gateway to all mystery.<br/>
<br/>
***<br/>
<br/>
In the greenhouse, all can see beauty as beauty only because there is Venomous Tentacula.<br/>
<br/>
Therefore Neville goes about doing nothing, teaching no-talking.<br/>
The ten thousand plants rise and fall without cease,<br/>
Creating, yet not.<br/>
Working, yet not taking credit.<br/>
Work is done, then forgotten.<br/>
Therefore it lasts forever.<br/>
<br/>
***<br/>
<br/>
The highest good is like water.<br/>
Water gives life to the ten thousand plants and does not strive.<br/>
It flows in places men reject and so is like the Neville.<br/>
In dwelling, be close to the land.<br/>
In meditation, go deep in the heart.<br/>
In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.<br/>
In speech, be true.<br/>
In ruling, be just.<br/>
In daily life, be competent.<br/>
In action, be aware of the time and the season.<br/>
In Potions, think of Herbology.<br/>
In Transfiguration, think of Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger and Susan Bones and perhaps Pansy Parkinson bent over your desk.<br/>
In Defense, think of Snape in a dress.<br/>
<br/>
No fight: No blame.<br/>
<br/>
And if you see a snake, and a sword finds your hand,<br/>
Cut the scaly bugger’s head off without shame and without hesitation,<br/>
For the snake and the blade are one<br/>
And flow like the water from the Neville.<br/>
<br/>
***<br/>
<br/>
Knowing others is wisdom;<br/>
Knowing Neville is enlightenment.<br/>
Mastering others requires force;<br/>
Mastering Neville requires strength;<br/>
He who knows he has enough is rich.<br/>
And sometimes has a very cool sword<br/>
Dropped upon his head from a Burning Hat.<br/>
Perseverance is a sign of will power.<br/>
He who stays where he is endures.<br/>
To die but not to perish is to be eternally present.<br/>
<br/>
***<br/>
<br/>
Look, it cannot be seen - it is beyond form.<br/>
Listen, it cannot be heard - it is beyond sound.<br/>
Grasp, it cannot be held - it is intangible.<br/>
These three are indefinable;<br/>
Therefore they are joined in one<br/>
like Harry, Ron and Hermione.<br/>
From above it is not bright;<br/>
From below it is not dark:<br/>
An unbroken thread beyond description.<br/>
It returns to nothingness.<br/>
The form of the formless,<br/>
The image of the imageless,<br/>
It is called indefinable and beyond imagination<br/>
For everyone except Luna,<br/>
who thinks about precisely this sort of thing all of the time.<br/>
<br/>
Stand before it and there is no beginning.<br/>
Follow it and there is no end.<br/>
Stay with the eternal Neville,<br/>
Move with the present.<br/>
<br/>
Knowing the ancient beginning is the essence of Neville.<br/>
<br/>
***<br/>
<br/>
Empty yourself of everything.<br/>
Let the mind become still, stiller, even, than Gregory Goyle’s.<br/>
The ten thousand plants rise and fall while the Neville watches their return.<br/>
They grow and flourish and then return to the source.<br/>
Returning to the source is stillness, which is the way of nature.<br/>
The way of nature is unchanging.<br/>
Knowing constancy is insight.<br/>
Not knowing constancy leads to disaster.<br/>
Look at Malfoy.<br/>
Knowing constancy, the mind is open.<br/>
With an open mind, you will be openhearted.<br/>
Being openhearted, you will act royally.<br/>
Being royal, you will attain the divine.<br/>
Being divine, you will be at one with the Neville.<br/>
Being at one with the Neville is eternal.<br/>
And though the body dies, the Neville will never pass away.<br/>
<br/>
***<br/>
<br/>
Man follows Earth.<br/>
Earth follows heaven.<br/>
Heaven follows the Neville.<br/>
Neville follows what is natural.<br/>
<br/>
***<br/>
<br/>
Force is followed by loss of strength.<br/>
This is not the way of Neville.<br/>
That which goes against the Neville comes to an early end.<br/>
<br/>
***<br/>
<br/>
Hermione hears of Neville and considers him diligently.<br/>
Ron hears of Neville and gives him thought now and again.<br/>
Malfoy hears of Neville and laughs aloud.<br/>
If there were no laughter, Neville would not be what he is.</p><p>***</p><p>Neville is the dance.<br/>
The dance is Neville.<br/>
Dance with your shoes upon your shoulders and let Neville guide your feet.</p><p><br/>
***<br/>
<br/>
The softest thing in the universe<br/>
Overcomes the hardest thing in the universe.<br/>
That without substance can enter where there is no room.<br/>
Hence Neville knows the value of non-action.<br/>
Teaching without words and work without doing<br/>
Are understood by very few.<br/>
<br/>
***<br/>
<br/>
When the Neville is present in the universe,<br/>
The Herbology students spread dragon dung upon the Snargaluffs.<br/>
When the Neville is absent from the universe,<br/>
Dragons fly above the castle, breathing fire.<br/>
There is no greater sin than desire,<br/>
No greater curse than discontent,<br/>
No greater misfortune than wanting something for oneself.<br/>
Therefore he who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: So... Obviously this is a horrible bastardization of the Feng-English translation of Lao-tsu's Tao Te Ching. I actually chose some of the most appropriate passages and changed surprisingly little...</p><p>I hope that any Taoists among you will forgive me. Though, being Taoists, you are unlikely to think that necessary. ;-)</p><p>But damn, some of it actually makes sense!</p><p>FYI: Along with a group of fanfic writers (including deadwoodpecker, Meyers1020, TheWordsinMyHead, PotterFanatic17, and LegendDairy) I am, as K.D. West, releasing an anthology of original fantasy novellas, <a href="http://stilpt.us/product/into-the-mystic/?utm_campaign=AO3&amp;utm_medium=profile">Into the Mystic</a>. It's available now (ebook and print) at your favorite bookstore! </p><p>  <a href="http://stilpt.us/product/into-the-mystic/?utm_campaign=AO3&amp;utm_medium=profile"><br/>
<br/>
Check it out!</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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